New Breakthroughs in FDM from Stratasys

In the past few weeks, Stratasys has unveiled another incredible breakthrough in its other signature 3D Printing Technology, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The new developments are the Infinite-Build 3D Demonstrator and the Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator. Partnering with companies like Boeing, Ford, and Siemens, the advanced technologies are geared towards the Automotive and Aerospace Industries, but offer new manufacturing potential across all fields.

Infinite-Build 3D Demonstrator

This machine quite literally turns what it means to traditionally 3D print on its side, allowing for “infinite” building potential on the horizontal axis.

With this new machine, manufacturers will now be able to produce much larger parts, effectively measuring parts in feet or meters. The design of the machine also allows for dramatically increased print speeds, approximately 10 times faster than traditional vertical FDM printing. This incredible combination of speed and build size will heavily impact the manufacturing process of both the Automotive and Aerospace Industries.

Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator

This machine will propel 3D printing to the next level by augmenting the normal three axis movement of traditional FDM printing and increasing it to eight axis kinematic potential between the robotic arm and the moving build platform. The movement between the arm and the build platform are extremely fluid, and allows for design optimization for composites that were not previously possible. This system also eliminates the need for supports and cleanup, considerably cutting down material usage and time associated with design complexity for parts.

These two machines are still in development, so they are not yet on the market, but will be available to the public within a year. There will also be presentations and demonstrations of the technologies at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS).